Update December 20-24

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and follows.  This will be the last update for the year.

Last week I had all kinds of ideas for the entry but now that it is time to have to write them down, my mind is going blank.  Welp, that has never stopped me before.   This week will mostly be a short one because of Christmas.  I have to be realistic with the available time I have to write.  This is something I learned from all the plan and goal-setting YouTube videos; I’ve been watching.  Unrealistic goals lead to disappointment.   Looking over the year, through the posts, I have mixed feelings about them.  I made promises that fell through for various reasons.  I’m not apologizing again.  What I will add is that I am aware of my repetitive actions.  Insert Weak by AJR here.  There will be quotes of good cheer and a Wednesday post.

I will be working on scene eleven of Star Crossed.  In the first week, I changed most of the chapters to scenes, the first week in December.  Trying to write in chapters was bothering me.  I initally started writing this story by scences. Scene eleven is actually scene twenty-one, I will most likely be fixing that at a later date. The business of being a storyteller and an author. That is a series of blog essays. Most of scene 11 will be written by hand. There are some key things I want in the scene that can’t work out on keyboard.

The next writing project is a short story working title is called Dark Science Manifesto. I don’t want to give spoilers but whatever vibes you get from the working title you might be right. I think there is this discussion that science fiction and speculative writers have all the time. Which is when does the magic become science and vice versa? This story may or may not answer that but it will entertain. The first part is scheduled the second week full week of January. Then I realized I wouldn’t force an enemy to read 5000 word in one post. Therefore you, fans that I love are spared.

The skill of writing a short story is elusive to me. It is a skill that I am working on honing. Yes I find it a little embarrassing that I wrote something similar to this the beginning of the year. But we all know what they say about crazy, so I’m a little crazy. The strange thing is that I have been consistent and I am really glad that I have been able to pull through on that promise.

This is what the week will look like for me if I keep to my plans. All I want for Christmas are my friends, family past, present and future to be well over this holiday season.

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Wednesday random thoughts

Last week, I typed that I would be attempting to read a number of books, I unofficially DNF’d. In true self-sabotage fashion, I didn’t listen or bring up any of them on a tablet or laptop, in the last seven days. I constantly know what I have to do, procrastinate, and then rush to get things done before the deadline. I also do this, type about my shortcomings on this blog. It is supposed to be accountability but I am very good at typing how sorry and miserable I am for not doing what I am supposed to do. I also type these things in commiseration. I know there is a writer like me out there thinking that they are the only one that is not meeting their writing goals. Not just you, not just me there are thousands of us out there in the ocean of the internet. Some of us have legitimate reasons, work, family, mental state, and environment. Some of us have valid meh reasons. It doesn’t matter that it is meh, the important part is that it is valid. Working through fear, doubt, judgment can take a lot out of a person. On a really good writing day, I might bask in Asian dramas and anime for the next 3 days following. My brain, completely numb to the next part of the story. One of the reasons I wanted to start to write creative non-fiction. I wanted to level up my writing skill. Then the real Universe worked against me.

Here is another random thought, I don’t think we, people in general are going to say at the end of the year, “this was a good one, sad to see it go.” Many of us are like 2020 can go to hell, 2021 should follow it, with gasoline draws. but maybe wood this time b/c gas is expensive. Some of us want a redo but we can only change ourselves not the past.

Back to the first thought, what to do when none of your goals are being achieved? The one thing I have found effective is accepting the past. Shake off the negative thoughts. Apologize if it is helpful and then do the work for change. This may not work the first time. Please remember that positive change takes time. It has been said it takes about 28 days to change a habit. Expect the same and also prepare for not reaching the goal next time. This is not a one-and-done type of situation. Write down positive affirmations, feelings and prepare to do better.

Remember the only one that can write your story is you. Please leave a comment, like, and subscribe.

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Place Holder 06

Hello thanks for the likes and follows. 

I usually only write that sentence with the update posts but let us be real.  These place holders are unofficial updates.  Except for this one because I am not writing about my work or what my week will be like.  This is just a response to a question.  It is my opinion, and it could very well be wrong.  However, this is where I am today. 

Last week on the YouTube channel Casually Comics, the host Sasha posted a video she titled: The return of Supergirl, Is Kara being exploited? The episode consisted of how Supergirl or Kara Zor-El came back to the DC Universe after being killed off in a Crisis event.  A question came up that is paraphrased by me like this: Is there a double standard for female fan service as opposed to male fan service?   Dick Grayson/Nightwing’s booty is admired by fans and characters in the comics on many occasions. His body had been ogled and taken advantage of, in the comics and animations, look up Batman and Harlequin 2017.  However, hackles rise when it is Supergirl. Full disclosure I am attuning my response to the images shown on CC and memory of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse 2010.  I have not read the comics that this Supergirl was based on.  I was pleasantly surprised in the movie Kryptonian actually sounds like Esperanto.  I would also like to add that I focus more on story than artwork even in comics. 

For me, the cringe factor grew as they emphasized her age. Kara should be older than her cousin, however, due to science magic, and happenstance, she is younger and underage.  She is 17 years old in mind and body, adults are looking at her with inappropriate thoughts.  Yes, I know she is a fictional character.  I don’t get the same cringe from Nightwing.  I think that is because he is an adult.  I don’t admire his body when he was Robin.  Only when he is a young adult or new adult in his mid to late ’20s.  It all sounds ridiculous to think this hard about a subject.  But consider this situation, in Nightwing #93.  Nightwing is sexually assaulted by another “superhero”, her name is Tarantula.  The issue came out in 2004.  I don’t know when it was outright called rape, but I first saw an article about it in 2018.  There was a lot of shrugging off the issue by the writer and DC comics editors that green-lit the whole scene. I believe the situation would’ve been stopped immediately if Dick Grayson had been a 17-year-old boy.  No one would be questioning if it was rape or just “nonconsensual sex” as if one is not like the other.  A situation like that cannot happen to 17-year-old Kara because people would call it out for what it is, immediately.  The fact that Nightwing is an adult, despite emotional trauma, plays into what people think of the whole situation. So maybe we are just twisted individuals on varying levels.  

During the episode, I didn’t feel offended, I knew a number of images were taken out of context, but I did feel a whole lot of cringe for Kara Zor-El/Supergirl. There will be a number of fans who don’t see this and a number of fans who will, and a percentage of that number will also have inappropriate glee from it.  This is what puts a shadow on most of my feelings the idea that some jerk is enjoying the scene for the ick value. This brings another thought to mind, exploitation is easy.   

When Sasha asked my thoughts on the issue, too many words came into my head. I don’t think a dissertation needs to be written in the comment section of a YT video. I would have liked to put up a compare and contrast pictures but didn’t want to be sued. So enjoy the peaceful science view of the mountains. There will be people who read this or watch Sasha’s video and say that this does not matter. I of course, don’t agree with that. I don’t condemn the writers or artist that drew the characters they way they did or the wrote the stories the way they did. I do believe we should be free to analyze them from all angles. For some these images and even the situations are harmless for others they are trauma triggers. We should be able to face both sides with rational thoughts. Not have these things retconned or pulled from publications because a percentage is upset. This is not for every image and situation, I believe in case by case.

I am truly amazed I had so many words on the topic. I hope this video finds everyone doing well. Please leave a comment, like and subscribe. The week is still new and full of opportunity.

Happy Holidays.

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